A Place called Home
by Nightwitch87
Summary: Far in the future, Harry is reflecting on his life.


**A Place called Home**  
  
The stars were shining unusually brightly this night. It almost seemed like a promise, the promise that the world would go on. The stars had always given him a feeling of eternity. Harry smiled at this thought, it seemed banal and highly sentimental. But at this age, you were allowed to be emotional. If you cried, people understood, or thought they did.  
  
He shifted uncomfortably on the plain, wooden bench, moving his frail limbs into a different position. Then he raised his skinny hand and let it slide once again over the small metal plate indicating who this place was dedicated to: "In loving memory of Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry"  
  
His gaze finally settled on the old towers of Hogwarts. They seemed so majestic in the moonlight and he remembered how it had felt to enter this place for the first time. The atmosphere was still indescribable, he could hardly handle the flood of memories and emotions that had come back to him these past two days. Joy, anger, frustration, fun, fear, pain, and...happiness. This was the place where Harry had been completely happy for the first time in his life. Here, his life had really begun. But most of all he thought of all the people important to him in all these years.  
  
Dumbledore, the incredible headmaster, the best, the most intelligent wizard, a gentle old man had passed away almost seventy years ago after a long, fulfilled life. McGonagall had died eighteen years after him to the day, as a successful headmistress of Hogwarts. Arthur Weasley, whose life had ended in a tragic accident involving two muggles and a plane about fifty years ago and his wife Molly, who had died only ten months after her husband. There were many more of these losses, Neville Longbottom, Rubeus Hagrid, Fred and George Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, Dobby, and Remus Lupin, each one of them tearing a little piece of his heart away. Terribly painful had certainly been his two best friends' deaths. Hermione had died nearly fifteen years ago after long illness from a muggle disease called multiple sclerosis, never losing her bright mind and strength. Ron had passed away about six years later, never quite getting over his wife's slow and painful death.  
  
Oh yes, loss had become a crucial part of his life. First his parents and then Sirius, whose death he still mourned for after more than eighty years. His daughter Leigh who had died way too early in a terrible accident at the age of seven, and his grandson Danny, the hero. There were times when these losses weighed so heavy that only the knowledge of his wife being right beside him kept it all together.  
  
The pain and grief hadn't lessened, yet there had always been something to live for and they had gone on with their lives, which brought them a great deal of happiness and gains. The old man had a large family. His impulsive son Sirius had a wife and grown up children of his own, they visited more often since he had retired. The "children", Corinne and Michael were both in their early fourties and successful in magic. Harry's daughter Salene was much like her mother, a gentle, caring person. After her divorce and her son Danny's death, she hadn't had any more children. But she was happy in many ways, too, working as a transfiguration teacher in Hogwarts. The famous Pottter's youngest daughter Leisha was still happily married and working at St. Mungo's Hospital. Her daughter Ginevra, also called Evie, had been the black sheep in the family because she was the only squib. But after many fights and disappointments, she had become a renowned psychiatrist in the muggle world, having a daughter of her own who was just starting Hogwarts. Deanna was a sweet little girl. Ginevra's brother Bill had become an auror like Harry himself and was just engaged to be married.  
  
His family meant a lot to the old man. He had always thought that magic would be everything and that he couldn't be happy anywhere outside Hogwarts. It seemed strange that it had taken him five years after he had left Hogwarts to realise where his true happiness lay. The real adventure hadn't been beating Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Harry found that raising three children had been more of a challenge than duelling with the most powerful wizards in the world.  
  
Retirement had brought him a new perspective on priorities. All his life he had been travelling around, fighting the last of the dark witches and wizards, often having serious arguments with his wife about responsibilities. But through all this, they had stayed together. When they had felt that they couldn't do their jobs anymore, they had finally settled down around the beautiful English countryside. Harry wasn't the auror anymore, he was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, and a friend. This had brought him contentment and happiness. Maybe it was what some people call "the wisdom of old age".  
  
The bench was hard, Harry's back, joints, and especially the old injury on his right leg he had from his last fight with Voldemort hurt. He looked at Hogwarts,his head almost aching from all the memories, his heart hurting. They had come here to visit Salene and Deanna, but really it was to say goodbye. He didn't think he'd come here again. The doctors gave him a year at most, but the truth was that tiredness had crept into his bones, he had been exhausted for too long. He had tried to keep it from his wife, but he was sure she knew. She had been angry and sad at first, denying that he would soon die, holding on to a false hope. But after two years, she, too, had started to accept it. The old woman had tried to keep a certain cheerfulness for his sake, but sometimes he saw the look of pain and worry in her clear, blue eyes.  
  
Harry was still so deeply in love with her, it surprised him at times. They had been together for 72 years now and had had everything. They had lived life fully, wholeheartedly, had done everything there was to do.  
  
Ginny.  
  
He heard footsteps on the path downhill, approaching him. Many years ago it would have made him jump and pull out his wand, but now he just sat there and smiled. From the sound of the steps, he knew it was her even before seeing the slender figure with the long, white hair.  
  
"It's cold out here and very late, you should come inside.", Ginny remarked in a serious voice.  
  
Harry just nodded and scooted over make room for her on the bench. She leaned against him and he put his arm around his wife.  
  
"Feels good to be home, doesn't it?", she asked half to herself, half to the man sitting beside her.  
  
"Yes", he answered, "it does." Harry knew the full meaning of her words and at that moment, he realised that he was exactly were he wanted to be. In her arms and at the first place he had called "home". Ginny was right, it was a cold autumn night but right now, it didn't matter. There was a short silence, they both just sat there, looking up to Hogwarts, enjoying each others' presence. Suddenly, Harry noticed that there were silent tears rolling down his wife's cheeks.  
  
"You always were a fighter, Harry. But you don't have to keep fighting for me. I'll be alright. It'll be okay when you let go.", she said gently.  
  
The old man's eyes filled with tears. He had tried to keep it from her, but she had known. A silent understanding between the two had developed over the past years.  
  
"I'm sorry, love.", he whispered.  
  
"For what? We've been the happiest anyone could be.", she smiled through the moisture on her face. "You're home."  
  
"I love you.", Harry said plainly, looking in Ginny's eyes. Three little words, were they enough?  
  
Lovingly, she took a stubborn stray of his grey hair and pushed it back from his forehead. "I know. I love you, too."  
  
Leaning against each other, they sat for a while, just feeling each others' heartbeat. Exhaustion overcame Harry's body and he stopped fighting it. The last thing he felt was his wife holding him as he slowly ran out of breath.  
  
The End  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters and I'm not intending to steal anything.  
  
Well, that's it, very cheesey, I know. Hope you still liked it! 


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